Mine car



T. R. EVANS Oct. 6, 1931.

MINE CAR Filed March 28. 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet l Thomas.Evan i a@ 7 .Z .g

T. R. EVANS Oct. 6, 1931.-

MINcAR Filed March 28. 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Det. 6, 1931 l PATENT clerics yTHOMAS. E. EVANS, or PETEos, TENNESSEE MINE CAR Application filed March 28, 1928. Serial No. 265,463.

` My'invention relates to new and' useful improvements in mine cars and has for its principal object the construction of the car in fa novel mannerV so that the contents may be carriedr to the desired point Vandthen rapidly disposed of or dumped 'into a bin or the like,Y means being 'provided adjacent" the track vover which the cartravels for automatically releasing'the 'contents and then restoringY the parts 'to 'their normal or 'original positionsfi "Another object' ofthe invention resides in the provision .of a carin which lthere are providedfs'e'ctions which are adapted to be swung on opposite sides? of the.longitudinal centerof the car, the contents of the 'car7 when the sectionsarein lower-ed or conveying position aiding in holding the sections in their lclosed or lowered positions andV aiding when suitable meclianismis operated to open the sections to allow the contents Yto be disposed of or Vdepositedintoa'bin or the like. Still a further object resides in the pro# vision'of means whereby thereis a direct center draft pull thereby adding 'considere able' strength to the car and facilitatingY the transportation thereoii Y Still another object consists in the provision of a novel form of latch to aid in secur-` '30 ing theswinging sections ofthe' rcar in their lowermost or Vclosedpositions the latches be-f ingreleasedprior Y.to the swinging ofthe sections and preferably released through A means of the same meansY adjacent the track i3 that operates and swings the car sections themselves,

vAs a f rther object of the invention I lprovide a car in which side sections are piv-` 0- otally connected to end members and are adapted to be swung on opposite sides of the longitudinal center of the car, th-evsections beingrnormally held in their lowerinost or closed positions by gravity. Y

A still further obj ect consists informing a car of the character described in which there is a main frame, to which is secured sections for swinging movement on opposite sides of' the longitudinal center ofthe car, said seco tions being so positioned relative'to the main frame that at no time will they fall or drop below said frame, thus allowing for operation o fthe car without the possibility of the swinging or dumping sections engaging ob# structions. i `l/ Vith the Vabove'and other objects in View, 55 whichwill appear as the description proceeds, iny'invention consists in the novel detailsfof construction and arrangementk of parts,` described in the following specifica'- tion and illustrated in the' accompanying 60 drawings, and while have illustrated and described Vthe preferred embodiments of the invention, as they now appear to me, it will be understood Ythat such changes may bemade as will fall'within the scopeof'the appended 65 claims. f i ln the drawings: y Figi shows a side elevation with the car inits conveying'position shown in full lines and in dumping position in dotted lines. 7U Fig.' -2 is a top plan with' t-he'car shown in full lines while' conveying and iii'l dotted lines'wheii in position for dumping.

ig.v 3is a longitudinalV Vertical section through theV car with partsshown in eleva- 7;, tion'.-

Fig." 4 is an "end view. y Fig.' 5 :is a transverse vertical section through the car Ywith parts shown" in el'evation. Y Fig. 6 is a fragmental detail showing a bottom plan of the 'draft connection.

` Fig. 7 is a fragment-al bottom'pl'an showing the'formation Vof oneof the latch mem! bers; and f si;

Fig. 8 is' afragmental det-ail showing partly in section and 'partly Vin top lplan the pivotal connections for the lswinging or. dumping Vsections at one endof the car. K In the drawings l indicates the tracks upony e which my improved forni'of car is adapted totravel and at the desired points in the;

' track line Il provide trip members,` one of said members being positioned'adja'cent the outerface of each of the rails, as shown more particularly in Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawings.` Each of the trip members includes a bar iii-- clined in opposite directions longitudinally of the rails, as shown at`2 and V3, with they outer ends thereof secured in any desired mi the end members 6, the side members being reinforced intermediate the ends thereof by means of the plat-es 7. Secured to each of the end members 6 is a bracket 8 and at each end ofthe car is a draft bolt 9 which extends through a bracket 8 and the end member 6, as shown more particularly in Figs. 3 and 6 of the drawings, the inner end of the bolt having the enlarged head 10 while the outer end is threaded, as shown at 11, to receive the nuts 12 and 13, said nuts being positioned on opposite sides of the end member with the nut 13 securing in position a. coupling member 13 having the extension 14 which extends parallel with the outer face of the end member 6 and is provided with an opening through which the threaded end of the bolt 9 passes. A bumper 15 is secured to each of the end members 6 and is enclosed by a metallic casing shown at 16 more particularly in Fig. 3 of the drawings. A staple 17 passes through the bumper 15 with its horizontal LII portion over the coupling member 13', nuts 18 being received on the threaded ends for securing the same to the bumper.

The main frame is supported by the axles 19 upon the ends of which are j ournaled the wheels 20 which operate upon the track rails 1.

The body portion of the car consists of the sections 21 and 22 which are pivotally connected at 23 and 24 to the vertically extending end plates 25 secured to the end members 6 of the main frame and extending upwardl therefrom. The sections 21 and 22 are a apted to swing on opposite sides of the longitudinal center of the car and each section includes end portions 26, a side portion 27, a substantially horizontal portion 28 extending upwardly from` the center towards opposite en s, as shown at 29 and 30, more particularly in Fig. 3 of the drawings, and the curved portion 31 shown more )articularly in Fig. 5 of the drawings. l' hen the sections are in their lowered or closed position the longitudinal edges of the curved portions 31 will overlap to form a tight closure and the concaved portions will cooperate to form a longitudinally extending well een' trall'y of the car. A plate 32 is secured to each end portion 26 of the sections and when the sections are in their lowered or closed positions forms an inwardly extending wedge-shaped member extending from each end of the car, as shown more particularly in Figs. 2, 3 and 5 of the drawings. As shown more particularly in Fig. 8 ot the drawings the meeting edges of the ends 26 of the sections 21 and 22 overlap and secured to the end 26 of one of the sections, as shown the section 22, is a plate having the oil'set portion 34 adapted to overlap the inner face of the end of the section 21. This provides a tight tit at the meeting points and secured to the outer face of each of the ends of each of the sections is an angle iron strip adapted to overlap the vertical edges of the plates 25 to which the sections are pivotally connected. Secured to the under surface of each of the curved portions 31, or each of the sections, is an angle iron plate 36, these plates being positioned adjacent the meeting edges of the sections, and the vertical portion of each of the strips is provided adjacent each end with an opening 37 to receive one end of the enlarged head 1t) formed on the bolt 9. This is shown quite clearly in Figs. 3 and 6 of the drawings and the purpose of which will be later described more in detail.

Secured to the outer face of each of the side members 5 of the main frame, at opposite ends thereof, is a plate 38 having a notch or recess 39 formed in its upper edge to receive a bracket 40 secured to the bottom of each of the swinging sections of the body, adjacent opposite ends thereof. These brackets 40 engaging in the recesses or notches form a support for the swinging sections on the main frame.

Normally gravity will be sufficient to hold the swinging sections in their lowered or closed positions and the contents of the car will aid in so holding them. However, at times, and to prevent accidental swinging or opening of the sections I find it desirable to provide latch members for holding the sections in their lowered or closed position and these latch members include a lever portion 41 normally extending at an angle, as shown in Fig. 5 of the drawings, and a depending portion including spaced arms 42 each of which has an end projection 43 extending at substantially right angles thereto and adapt ed to be received in openings 44 formed in the side members 5 of the frame, the open ings being longitudinally spaced, as shown more particularly in Fi". 7 of the drawings. It will be understood tl at there is a latch member secured to each of the body sections and they are pivotally connectedto the sections by means of the brackets 45. A roller 46 is secured to the bottom of each of the body sections, as shown more particularly in Figs. 4, 5 and 7 of the drawings, these rollers normally extending horizontally and positioned adjacent the lever portion 41 of the latch, it

'being understood and preferred that the lever portion of the latch consists of spaced members between which the roller is adapted to be received, this arrangement being quite clearly shown in Fig. 7 of theI drawings.

From the above detailed description it is thought that the construction of my car will be clearly understood but I will now endeavor to more clearly bring out the advantages and operation. In the use of Inine cars it is desired to carry the contents to a given point and then to automatically dump or deposit.

the same into a bin or the like. In carrying out my invention the car is so formed that the swinging or dumping sections will swing to opposite sides of the longitudinal center of the car and normally the sections will be held in their lowered or closed positions by gravity. However, the Vcontents of the car will aid in holding` such sections in their closed or lowered position. It will be appreciate-d that when the car is filled the contents will extend over the substantially horizontal portions 28 of the bottom as well as the curved portions 3l thereof and the greater weight of the contents will be positioned towards the sides of the car or at points spaced from the pivoted points of the sections. As a precau- V tion to secure the sections in their lowermost point of deposit.

or closed posit-ions I provide the latch members, the lever portions of Which, as has been stated, extend. downwardly at an angle with the outer ends positioned below the horizontallv eXtending rollers 46. For releasing the latch members and for raising the body sections into dumping' position I provide a trip member at each side of the track and -it will be understood that these trip members will be positioned adjacent the point of deposit such as a receiving bin. As the car passes over the track the sections ot the car body will be in the position shown more particularly in Figs. l and 2 of the drawings. I will assume that the car is moving to the left of the position shown by full lines in Figs. l and 2 of the drawings and as the car approaches the bin the downwardly extending portion 2 of the tripinember will engage the lever 4l of the latch and swing the same upwardly to withdraw the projections 43 from the openings 44 in the sides of the main frame. A further movement of the car will cause the rollers 46 to be engaged with the upwardly inclined portion 2 of the trip and as the rollers 46 ri-de over the inclined portions 2 of the trips the sections 2l and 22 will be swung upwardly as shown indotted lines in Figs. l and 2 of the drawings, and the contents of the car will be discharged or dumped into the bin or like As the sections start to raise the contents of the car will be directed towards the longitudinal center of the car and thus aid in swinging the sections into open or dumping position. After the car has passed the highest point of the trips the rollers 46 will pass over the downwardly inclined portions 3 and the sections will be allowed to drop into lowered or closed positions by gravity and the latches will return to their normal or locking positions. I have described the operations when the car is passing to the left of the position shown in Figs. 1 and 2 but it will be understood that the operation will be the same if passing to the right only that the portions 3 of the trips would act for releasingthe-latches and raising the body secl tions whereas when the rollers pass over the portions Qthe sections wouldbe allowed to drop into' lowered or closed positions and the 4 latches reengaged. By having the coupling I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters K Patent is: i

l. A car of the character described includ'- 'ing pivoted. sections normally held inclosed position by gravity but adapted to be swung into open position, .thesections being of a formation that the contents of the car will normally aid in holding them in lowered position but will tend to swing them into open position after an initial swinging movement given to the sections, said formation of each section including a substantially horizontal portion adjacent the outer side edge of the section to support a portion of the contents.

2. A car of the character described including pivoted sections normally held in closed position by gravity but adapted to be swung into open position, the sections being of a formation that the contents of the car will normally aid in holding them in lowered position but will tend to swing them into open position after an initial swinging movement given to the sections, said formation of each sectionincluding a substantially horizontal portion adjacent the outer side edge of ihe section to support a portion of the contents,

lieu

and a concaved portion adjacent the inner edge of the section.

3. A car of the character described including sections adapted to be swung to opposite sides of the longitudinal center of the car, and a draft bolt having a portion engageable with the sections for securing a direct center draft pull.

4. A car of the character described including sections adapted to be swung to opposite n sides of the longitudinal center of the car, and

a draft bolt having a head portion engageable in openings in the sections for `securing a direct center draft pull.

5. A car body including pivotally mounted sections adapted to normally support the load but adapted to be swung to discharge the load, each of said sections having a portion at the outer edge on a higher plane than the inner edge thereof whereby the load will tend to hold the sections in their supporting positions.

6. A car body including pivotally mounted sections adapted to normally support the load but adapted to be swung to discharge the load, each of said sections having a portion extendiio SMU

ing longitudinally of the body forming a shelf at the outer side of the body to receive a portion of the load which will tend to hold tbe. sections in their supporting positions.

7. A. car body including pivotally mounted sections adapted to normally support the load but adapted to be swung to discharge the load, each of said sections having a portion extending longitudinally of the body forming a shelf at the outer side of the body to receive a. portion of the load which will tend to bold the sections in their supportn positions, said longitudinally extending slielportions being inclined upwardly towards opposite ends of the sections from adj :leent the transverse center thereof.

In testimony whereof I hereunto aix my signature.

THOMAS R. EVANS. 

